The invention relates to a hot water heater. More particularly, the invention is an improved hot water heater designed to heat and maintain the water held therein and traveling therethrough to a high temperature, without having to keep a furnace running continuously. Further, the water is heated at a faster rate than in a conventional water heater.
Hot water heaters are used in most homes and commercial buildings in order to supply hot water to the occupants therein. Water that flows into a building through a service line is cold. Pipes connected to the service line carry the water to all the plumbing fixtures and to the appliances that use cold water. One of the pipes also brings water to the hot-water heater, which enters the heater through a cold-water inlet pipe. The water is typically heated in a tank to a temperature of 120.degree. F. to 150.degree. F. (49.degree. C. to 66.degree. C.) and then drawn from the top of the tank. It exits the tank through a hot-water outlet pipe and is carried by branch pipes to the plumbing fixtures and appliances in the building that use hot water.
The hot water heater tank in most homes holds from 30 to 50 gallons of water and is always full. As hot water is used, cold water enters the tank at the bottom to be heated. A furnace, located at the bottom of the heater, ignites a flame that heats the water which is fed through one pipe extending through the center of the tank. Because of this construction, the recovery rate is slow. Accordingly, hot water is not always available to the user. Thus, there exists a need for a hot water heater which may speed up the heating rate of the water contained therein to ensure a reliable hot water supply, while maintaining a higher temperature level without having to keep the furnace running constantly.
U.S. Pat. No. 588,300 to Verrue discloses a water heater comprising a plurality of reservoirs located within single housing. As the water enters the heater, each reservoir must be completely filled before the water begins to enter the next reservoir. This configuration seeks to retard the flow of water within the heater in order to allow it to be exposed to the heat for a longer period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 909,624 to Levering discloses a gas stove and hot water heater that is constructed to allow a user to easily transport the same and attach the heater to any water supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 938,623 to Allman shows a water heater having a plurality of chambers that hold the fresh water, as well as the boiling water. Heating gases are circulated around the chambers in order to heat the water. This construction seeks to separate and protect the water from contamination that may be caused by contact with injurious gases or polluted air.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,153 to Suzuki et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a stainless steel boiler tube with an anticorrosive coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,500 to Sigafoose shows a water heater heat exchange apparatus kit, and method of installation. This configuration extracts the heat that normally would be wasted and utilizes same to heat water passing thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,536 to Lameris discloses a heat exchanger for a gaseous and a liquid medium.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.